London, my first share of the proceeds. I
sold the bonds in Paris, receiving payment in French notes.

On Thursday, the day before our marriage, I had a telegram from Mac and
George to meet them in Calais, and to Calais I had to go. I arrived
there at midnight, just before the Dover steamer got in, and was on the
pier to meet them. We exchanged warm greetings; as we did so Mac placed
a small but very heavy bag in my hands, and they began laughing over my
surprise. It contained L4,000 in sovereigns, and was stuffed with bonds
and paper money. We went to a hotel near by, and there they counted out
to me the very nice sum of $100,000 in gold, bonds and French money. As
they were going back on the same steamer, and I was to return to Paris
by the train carrying the passengers of the steamer just arrived, we had
only a brief half hour's talk. After giving me the money we went out
and sat down on the pier, and that conversation and scene are forever
impressed on my memory. I shall make no attempt to describe either, but
could both be put on the stage, with the audience in possession of a
full knowledge of the enterprise we were embarked in, there would be
seen a picture of human life such as the novelist or playwright never
had the imagination nor the daring to depict. To the earnest student of
human life it would have been a revelation.

There we were, three earnest, ambitious young men, enthusiastic for all
that was good and noble. I about to wed a pure-souled woman, who thought
me an angel of goodness, and about to fly with my plunder and bride to
Mexico. My two companions were returning to London to continue carrying
out a giant scheme of fraud against a great moneyed institution, but
there we were, with $100,000 in plunder at our feet, sitting under the
stars, listening to the dash of the waves, and talking not at all like
pirates and robbers, but much more like crusaders setting out on a
crusade, or like pilgrims going on a pilgrimage.

I told my friends I should go to the City of Mexico for a year or two,
and then meet them somewhere in America where we would unite our wealth
to inaugurate some scheme that would benefit thousands in our own
generation and millions in the generations to come. We would hedge
ourselves about with kindly deeds, so live as to win the respect of all,
and when under the sod live in the eyes and mouths of men.

Too soon the whistle sounded, and we had to say good-bye, which we did
in an en